Desperation that leads to true liberation

Have you ever experienced the overwhelming feeling of "I must take care of this on my own"?

"I can't cause trouble for anyone, so I must handle it by myself."

"They are unreliable, so I must take care of it on my own."

"I have no time left, so I must figure it out by myself."

People in the Bible who also experienced it

The Bible contains many accounts of people who were overcome by such strong compulsions. What remains consistent in the Bible is that those who walked with God, despite being overtaken by these compulsions, eventually reached an unwavering hope. Through the process of understanding who God is and who we are as humans, they were gradually liberated from the compulsion of "I must do this on my own" and were transformed into people of love.

To Sarah, who believed "I must somehow bear a child on my own," Isaac was given by God's providence when she arrived to end of herself.

To Moses, who believed "I must somehow save my fellow Israelites by my own strength and ability," even committing murder, God led to him saving the Israelites from Egypt when he was elderly.

To Peter, who said, "I will follow Jesus by my own will power," trials and disappointments led him to understand his true self and God deeper, and he followed Jesus with a greater freedom.

Why were these people able to change as they walked with God? As 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 teaches, it is because God is love, and love is not rude- He never acts against His own nature.

God never acts against his own nature

God, unlike us, never acts in contradiction to His nature. He always acts in accordance with His plan, without altering it, remembering who He is as the Creator and who we are as His creation. He is the Sovereign, and He has entrusted us with stewardship; He is the Savior, and we are those in need of salvation. God never forgets this. He will always move forward with His plan, and we live within the realm of His sovereignty. We cannot step outside of this.

Even King Saul in the Old Testament, who repeatedly ignored God’s words and acted contrary to His will, never fell outside of God’s love and sovereign plan. The issue was that Saul did not turn towards that love. As a result, his actions led to tragic consequences. For us today, no matter how far we may stray, we can always return to God because of Jesus Christ. The important thing is whether we are willing to turn back.

remember that he is god and we are not

We can be liberated from overwhelming feeling of "I must take care of this on my own", or the fear of it as we slowly know who God really is and who we are. Could it be that whenever we believe we can handle everything on our own, we are often acting as though we are our own gods, failing to recognize our place?

God always fully understands His place and who He is. He never forgets that He is the Creator, and we are His creation; He is the Sovereign, and we are entrusted with stewardship; He is the Savior, and we are in need of salvation. As His creation and a beloved child, we are never called to 'take care of things on our own', or make decision based on fear. As promised in 2 Timothy 1:7, through Jesus Christ, we receive "the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, not of fear." Every time we experience fear, may we able to give that to Jesus, who is always willing to exchange it with power, love, and sound judgement.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

2Timothy 1:7

Let's reflect together, with a painting inspired by 1 Timothy 1:7

1. Have you ever experienced a strong urge to figure out things on your own or urge to solve it by your own ability and strength? What made it difficult to reach out to others or seek God for His help?

   
   

2. The tree at the center of the painting, which blooms in the middle of the storm, is filled with green (strength), pink (love), and yellow (sound mind/discipline). In what area of our life can we operate more in strength, love and sound mind from God rather than in fear?

3. The tree at the center of the painting is wrapped in thin white lines, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals our true identity, guiding us to see who we are and who we are not. For example, Jesus is God, but we are not, so we don’t have to take on responsibilities beyond our role—like trying to help and please everyone.

   What has the Holy Spirit been revealing to you about your true identity?

1. Reflect on the phrase "Love is not rude" (1 Corinthians 13). How do you feel when you read, "(Your name) is not rude"?Do your words and actions reflect an invitation to embrace the love of Jesus Christ—the One who never responded with rudeness, even when He was insulted and crucified?